Just Another Fairy Tale
by creamsicle26
Summary: It was like a dream to be at the ball, and she met the love of her life. Only, she may never see him again. What will Amu do? -Oneshot- Note: the message at the end is supposed to be from Ikuto, but the address got cut off. Sorry about that!


_(A/N)_ For the record, I do not own Shugo Chara nor do I own this particular fairy tale. Sorry for any typos! Thanks!

Once upon a time there was a majestic kingdom far, far away from where you or I live. This kingdom, known throughout the world, was envied by all others and rivaled by none. The right culture and intelligence of the kingdom made it a safe haven for artists and scholars alike, while knights were still trained to be brave heros. The atmosphere was so lively, that everyday felt just as pleasant as the last. It is here that our story takes place, within the walls of the bustling metropolis known as Seiyo.

In the middle of Seiyo, there lived a family of moderate wealth and social standing. They lived in a house that was normal for the time, except for that fact that it has a tall tower that rose above the sky. It was this tower that made the house seem extravagant and wealthy, making all other around it seem small in comparison. The house was cheerful in complexion, yet inside the walls the atmosphere was serious and proud. For within this house lived a bitter, old widow and her two daughters, and within the tower lived the widow's stepdaughter and the family maid.

The widow was named Saaya, and her daughters were Rima and Yaya. Saaya herself was as rotten as a witch and just as cold as winter. She enjoyed seeing misfortune and pain being brought upon others, yet reveled in the joy that her two daughters brought her. Her first born, Rima, had long golden locks that all others in the kingdom marveled. She herself was not malicious like her mother, but had taken on her cold personality. Thus being said, Rima was often misunderstood by the other villagers and had yet to make a single friend. Yaya, on the other hand, had a large personality and loved to be spoiled by the villagers and her mother. She was spoiled so much in fact, that she never emotionally matured past the age of a six year old.

Saaya's stepdaughter was named Amu. Amu was the daughter of a merchant from a neighboring country, and therefore had a foreign appearance compared to those who lived around her. Her hair was bright pink and her eyes were bright and golden, yet her beautiful was far beyond all others in the kingdom. She was kind and gentle, and would never hurt a fly should the opportunity arise. Amu's days were filled with adventure, exploration, and love that she received from her father. However, ten years ago her mother had been murdered by a band of robbers who stole everything her father owned. Her father was so devastated, that he packed up whatever they had left and moved to the kingdom of Seiyo in hopes of a new life. Amu was only ten at the time, yet she could sense the pain and despair that her father felt. After only a year in Seiyo, her father had remarried to a woman named Saaya, who had promised him a comfortable home and a modest life in exchange for his hand. He accepted, and they spent five years together until one day when her father contracted a deadly illness, and died.

After the death Amu's father, Saaya forced Amu to become a maid and tend to the family. She locked Amu into the tower and only allowed her to come out when the chores needed to be done or food needed to be served. It was in this time of chastisement that Amu learned to hide away her kindness, and but on an outer character that drove away others from her. Now Amu was lonely and cold, and longed for a new life outside of her room in the high tower above the city. Then, maybe, she could find the happiness that she once had.

One day in particular, Amu had woken to a bright, golden sunrise that gently caressed her peaceful figure. The chimes from the clock tower played softly in her ears and told her that it was time to awake. It was almost the perfect morning, until...

"AMU-CHAN!"

"Amu!"

"Amu-chan desu!"

Amu was disturbed from her calm state by three voices ringing sharply into her ears. She turned and saw three mice sitting on her bed stand, demanding that she rise to start the day.

"Ran, Miki, Suu, do you know how much I hate you right now?" Amu chortled in her drowsy state. Ran, Miki, and Suu met Amu when she first moved into the tower. Amu was frightened of them at first because, well, they were talking mice. However, after spending nearly five years together the four has become best friends and helped each other through the day.

"Aaaaaaw! Come on Amu-chan! The sun is shinning, the birds are singing, and its going to be a great day!" said Ran in an burst of enthusiam.

"Don't try and fool her Ran, of course today is going to be terrible! it always is," responded Miki who was far more realistic than Ran was.

"Amu-chan? Do you want me to prepare your clothes for you and make you some fresh tea desu?" asked Suu sweetly. Suu was like Amu's mother and always did chores with an enthusiasm that Amu wished she had everyday.

"Sure Suu, if you want," Amu replied slowly getting out of bed. She felt the cold floor underneath her feet and tip-toed over to the small window on the other side of the room. It was the only window in the room and it looked out over the large castle standing at the far end of the city. Amu would stare at the large castle for hours and would day dream about the life of a princess. A princess never had to do chores and had hundreds of servants at their feet. A princess would go to all of the royal gatherings and charm suiters with her elegant and charismatic attitude. In fact, a princess would never be sad or lonely. It was a life that Amu could only imagine, that is until her harsh reality set in.

"Amu! Get down here immediately and serve me my breakfast!" yelled her 'mother'

"Me too Amu!" yelled Yaya.

"And me as well," quietly chimed in Rima.

"Coming!" Amu replied with a sigh. She put on the clothes that Suu has laid out and went to go serve breakfast,

When she arrived downstairs she noticed that there was an atmosphere of excitement among her family. The feeling was rare and it was one that Amu was not entirely comfortable with. She swiftly made some breakfast and went into the dinning room to hear what all the fuss was about.

"A ball! My darlings, there is going to be a ball! And you two will be the most beautiful girls there," said Saaya excitedly.

"Oh! I hope there will be lots of sweets there! The royal family certainly has good taste!" stated Yaya remembering the last time the royal family had held a ball.

"Foolish girl! Are sweets all you think about? Someday you will become too heavy from all the sweets you eat and no man will want to court you," replied Saaya disapprovingly.

"Yes mother," said a very crestfallen Yaya.

"Now, as I was saying, this is not just any ball. The young prince is looking for a bride, and I expect her to be one of you," said Saaya. Almost immediately Yaya and Rima snapped their heads to look at their mother with surprised eyes. For years it had been known that the prince was in need of a bride, however, it was just as equally known that the prince had no interest in finding the woman of his dreams. He had turned down every offer that came his way and many girls left the castles in violent tears.

"Mother, why in the world would the prince every choose one of us?" Rima asked quietly.

"Yeah! Prince Ikuto has turned down every girl who has come his way!" stated Yaya. Amu felt her muscles tense at the mention of the Prince's name. She had never seen, heard, or spoke to the prince, but she had a feeling deep inside that he would be the one to free her from her prison. Or rather, it was a daydream of hers.

"Well, he has never met you two has he? Besides, what prince would ever want to turn you girls down?," Saaya questioned, "oh, Amu?"

"Yes mam'" Amu reliped.

"You will be helping my daughters prepare for the ball. I expect them to be spotless by tonight when we leave. I know this is short notice but I wanted to leave it as a surprised," commanded Saaya.

"Yes mother, but..." replied Amu.

"But what?" questioned Saaya.

"Do you think it is possible that I could go to the ball as well?" Amu questioned hopefully. She had always wanted to go to a ball, and the chance to meet the prince was too good to pass up. It was a long shot but maybe her mother would pity her for one night.

"You? An urchin? zgo to the ball? HA! You would embarrass the family!" retorted Saaya. It was just as Amu expected.

"Now mother, why don't we let Amu have a little fun for once?" stated Rima. Amu looked at her in shock. Her sisters had never stood up for her like this. What was it that they could want?

"hmm...Alright Amu, I will make you deal. You must help Rima and Yaya get ready for the ball. However, should you be able to clean the house, water the garden, prepare lunch, sweep the courtyard, and make yourself appropriate by 5 o'clock, then I will let you come to the ball," replied Saaya.

"Yes mam'!" Amu replied with a little too much enthusiasm. She could not believe her mother even let her have a chance at going to the ball. However, in her ecstasy she over looked how much work she had to get done, and ran up to her room to tell Ran, Miki, and Suu the good news.

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The Tsukiyomis ruled over their kingdom with a just hand and a kind spirit. King Aruto and Queen Souko were the best rulers the kingdom had ever known. However, the pair was aging rather quickly and their son Ikuto was next in line for the throne. They knew the urgency in which he needed to find a wife, but their son was being too stubborn. They had brought the most beautiful women from all over the world, but none of them had swayed the prince. They had brought the most intelligent women from all over the world, but none had caught his eye. They even brought the most artistic women from all the the over, but none had so much received a passing glance from the prince. The king and queen were becoming desperate, and had no choice but throw a ball.

"A ball? Are you kidding me?" asked Ikuto incredulously.

"Oh come now Ikuto, you have left your father and I now other choice," replied queen Souko.

"Besides, you have never gotten to know the people of our kingdom, and now is the time," explained king Aruto.

"But every girl will just ogle at me the whole time," replied Ikuto. It was true. Ikuto was not only a price, but a very good-looking one as well. He had midnight blue hair that framed his face, a tall muscular figure that was still very lean, and deep blue eyes that pierced your soul. Wherever he went girls would just giggle and stutter like a mess.

"Its true father, it is actually quite annoying," chimed Ikuto's sister. Princess Utau was known throughout the kingdom for her astounding singing. Although she could not take the throne, she managed to attract attention through special concerts she would give in the parks. Not to mention that she herself was also very attractive. She had long blond hair and sparkling purple eyes that hypnotized any man she walked by. Unfortunately for them, Utau was already engaged to the Prince Kuukai from a neighboring kingdom.

"Now hush you two. We have already sent out the invitations so you are too late. Please try to enjoy yourselves tonight, thats all we ask,"responded king Aruto.

"Yes father," the siblings replied in unison, and with that they left the royal hall.

"Well, Ikuto, what do you think?" asked Utau to her brother.

"I think that we are in for a very long night."

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"Well Rima, what do you think?" asked Amu. Amu had just put the finishing trim on Rima's dress, and of course, it was perfect.

"Its fine," she quietly replied. Amu knew that was the best response she could get from her sister. Her cold personality made Rima very quiet, and short answers were very common with her.

"Good. I'll have you know that my dress is already made. I spent all day making it," Amu stated with a dreamy look on her face. Almost as soon as she burst into her room she began sewing and piecing her dress together. Of course, Ran, Miki, and Suu had helped her, and they had managed to just finish the dress before Amu was needed elsewhere. They had worked endlessly, and her little mice friends were tired beyond belief and were taking a nap upstairs.

"Thats nice. Did you finish all of your other chores," asked Rima.

"What?" replied Amu.

"You had to clean the house, water the garden, sweep the courtyard, ect." Rima replied while examining her appearance in the mirror. She looked perfect and held herself with an air of elegance, but Rima was never fully convinced of herself.

"What?!" Amu responded.

"You are such an airhead sometimes," Rima sighed. With that she left the room to join her sister, whom Amu had gotten ready earlier. Amu stood rooted to her spot. She had forgotten about all of the chores she had to do today. She was so excited about the ball and her dress that everything else had completely slipped her mind. Suddenly the clock chimed, and each ring stabbed Amu in the heart. She prayed they would stop after just four rings, but unfortunately, they made it to five.

"Amu! Come down here please!" yelled her mother. Amu quietly made her way to the front door where her mother and sisters were gathered. They all looked stunning, while Amu was still in rags.

"Well, look at you. Still in your work clothes I see. And what is this over here?" Saaya said as she made her way over to a chair. She took her finger and wiped it along the back of the chair.

"Tsk, looks like you didn't clean the house," she said when she saw the dust on her glove,"which means that your other chores must not have been done. Thats too bad, I'm sure you would have had a good time at the ball." Amu looked at the floor, hoping that she would wake up from whatever nightmare she was living in.

"Well, since you can't go, I expect you to finish your chores by the time we return at 1 o'clock. And you can add cleaning the horse dung in the road to that long list you have. Try not to have too much fun," said Saaya maliciously. With that she ushered Rima and Yaya outside to their carriage and slammed the door behind her. Amu listened to the horse gallop away and the wheels turn, before collapsing to the floor.

Amu felt as though she couldn't breathe. A giant weight was on her chest compressing her lungs into blocks. Her mind spun, yet it was completely empty. Her eyes saw nothing and her hands felt nothing. She felt like a hollow shell. Suddenly, she felt something warm upon her face. It startled her because all she felt around her was coldness. Her hand reached up to the warmth and she felt the wet drop upon her cheek. A tear? No it couldn't be a tear. She had taught herself not to cry, there was no way she would start now. But suddenly she felt more warm drops upon her face and her eyes stung. Yes, she was crying, and she became a pile of tears curled onto a hard floor.

Ran, Miki, and Suu scurried into the hall at that time to see their friend. They had decided to see her off and give her words of luck for her journey. Yet when they arrived they saw something completely different.

"Amu-chan?" asked Ran quietly. Her reply was a moan if despair and some sniffles. The three mice felt a deep pain in their chest, and slowly walked over to their friend.

"It will be ok Amu-chan desu," said Suu in an attempt to comfort her, but all she brought about where more tears.

"Amu, at this rate you will flood the house!" said Miki trying to joke around, but it had no effect.

"Amu-chan," said a fourth voice. The mice instantly jumped in surprise and looked around. There was nobody there.

"Amu-chan, calm down," said the voice again. Ran, Miki, and Suu where scared to death now. Amu, on the other hand, did not hear the voice and continued weeping. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded the four friends. It was a warm and gentle glow and had not hint of violence within it. Amu finally took notice of this extra presence and immediately sat up.

"Who-Who's there?" said Amu startled.

"Its me Amu-chan," said the voice "your fairy god mother." Suddenly a beautiful woman with bright orange hair and a yellow dress appeared before Amu and her mice. Her disposition was kind, gentle, and caring, and she wore a radiant smile upon her face.

"What?" Amu asked with wide eyes.

"Don't question what you see Amu-chan. I am here to help you get to the ball. Now stand up," commanded the fairy godmother.

"But, wait, I don't understa-"

"Just stand up!" replied the fairy godmother, cutting Amu off. Amu slowly stood up and faced the fairy. Ran, Miki, and Suu scurried behind her in fear.

"Aw, don't be afraid little mice! I won't bite," giggled the fairy god mother, "now, let's see what we can do about your clothes."

"um, I have a dress upstairs...." Amu said with a bit of hope.

"No, that's not going to impress Prince Ikuto! We need something flashier! I know just the thing!," the fairy replied. She stepped back from Amu and looked at her figure, making sure she understood just what to do. When she was sure, she pulled a magic wand out of mid air.

"Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit," she said. And with a flick of her wand a golden light encased Amu. Ran, Miki, and Suu stared in awe as they saw their friend emerge from the radiance. Amu was now dressed in a long, flowing dress made of pure silk. The dress was gold in hue and her gloves in a blinding white. Her hair was curled and created a soft frame around her face. Amu was shining in beauty and confidence, and it was the best she felt in years. However, before she could get a good look at herself, she was quickly ushered outside.

"No time for admiring dear we need to get you to the ball," stated the fairy godmother. "hmmm, yes I think this will do." With another flick of her wand she turned a near by pumpkin in the garden into a golden carriage. Amu was amazed and could not believe what was happening.

"Now all we need are some horses....yes these fines ladies will do nicely!" the fairy god mother exclaimed. With another flick of the wand, Ran, Miki, and Suu were brought outside. They too were encased in that bright golden light, and emerge as pure white stallions.

"Ran, Miki, Suu! Are you alright!?" Amu asked in a worried manner.

"Oh they are fine dear. Now I have some information for you," the fairy godmother stated. While she began to explain she hurried Amu into the carriage. This was all happening too quickly for Amu.

"Now, I may have helped you out, but my magic does not last forever. You will need to leave they ball by midnight, for that is when the spell will die. At that point everything will go back to the way it was," the fairy explained.

"All right, but being able to go is just enough," responded Amu enthusiastically.

"Good! Then I have done my job!" said the fairy god mother with a smile "Remember to let your radiance shine and you will be the bell of the ball! No go, go, go you only have 6 hours left!" With that Ran, Miki, and Suu galloped away from the house and towards the castle as quick as they could.

"Thank you fairy god mother!" Amu yelled behind her.

"Oh do not worry Amu-chan. And call me Dia!" responded Dia.

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It was dull. No, duller than dull. The dullest ball ever to be held in Seiyo. That was how prince Ikuto felt. For and hour already he had to deal with all of the little stares and giggles that came his way. What made it worse was that he knew he had to marry one of these girls. His parents had done too much for him already, and it was only right that he returned the favor.

The hall was dressed in a golden splendor and obvious care was taken into making this ball special. The king and queen greeted the guests as they came in, and Ikuto and Utau were left mingling in the middle of the great hill. Ikuto hated mingling. He would much rather have been in his room reading or playing his violin. As far as he was concerned, mingling was just a waste of time.

"Ikuto, would you try and enjoy yourself?" asked Utau.

"How can I? These balls are beyond boring," replied Ikuto, looking off into space.

"Yes I know, but don't try and ruin it for the rest of the kingdom. At least look like you are having fun," said Utau a bit harshly.

"Yeah, fine, ok" replied Ikuto walking away from his sister. There was no point in arguing with her. He had done that many times in the past and lost. He slowly wandered to the edge of the hall and leaned against the wall. He could feel a headache coming on, and took a deep breath in order to stop it. Was this ball ever going to end? He looked over to the clock on the wall, it was only six.

'Great' he thought 'who knows how much longer this torture is going to last. Before he could go any further in his thoughts, a loud trumpet played over the crowd. Ikuto could only groan, for when the trumpet sounded it meant that the dancing was about to begin. The room became a mad rush of citizens attempting to find a suitable dance partner. Hundreds of girls stood waiting for the right man to come, and the men scrambled to find the perfect woman. Ikuto knew he had to ask somebody, otherwise it would look shameful. He left his perch on the wall and made his over to the first woman he could find. She looked nice, but to Ikuto she looked just like all of the other women in the hall. He took a deep breath and but on the most charming face he could muster in his situation.

"May I have this dance madam?"

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Amu could not believe how fast Ran, Miki, and Suu got her to the ball. She would have to remember to give Dia a special thanks if she were to ever see her fairy god mother again. Amu stepped out of the carriage and gave her friends a quick hug.

"Now remember you guys, we have to leave her at midnight. Otherwise we will never make it home in time," Amu reminded her friends. Ran, Miki, and Suu nodded in agreement. Amu gave them one last goodbye and slowly walked up the grand staircase to the castle doors. She could feel eyes staring at her back as she proceeded, but her excitement expelled all anxieties she had. When she finally made it to the doors, the gates men opened it and revealed the great hall in which the ball was taking place. Amu caught her breath when she saw the spectacle. The hall was ornate and luxuriously furnished to accommodate the mood of the evening. Coupled were twirling around and around on the dance floor, making the room seem vibrant and alive. The king and queen watched from a far, and Amu could tell that they were reminiscing about when they were young. It all felt like a dream, one that Amu never wanted to wake up from.

She moved cautiously as to not disturb any of the dancers and stood next to the railing of the large staircase. Within the crowd she could see her sisters. Rima was dancing with the baker that lived down the street from Amu. She believed his name was Nigihiko, but she couldn't be sure. She then spotted Yaya in the middle of the floor dancing with a man who was obviously a knight. The man had slick hair and looked to be a scholar, and Yaya seemed to be enjoying herself quite a bit. Amu even spotted her mother dancing with a man near the back of the hall. It certainly was odd to see her family enjoying themselves to much, yet Amu still longed to join the crowd on the dance floor.

"Oh I am so sorry!" Amu exclaimed. She must have been in her trance for too long and bumped into one of the couples.

"Please, there is no trouble," replied the woman. She had long blond hair and sparkling purple eyes. Amu marveled at her beauty, and secretly wished that she could be that beautiful one-day. Her dance partner was equally as handsome. He has orange hair that seemed to go all over the place, and he looked as though he were some sort of athlete.

"Still, I am very sorry, please excuse me," Amu said. She walked away from the couple as they made their way back into the crowd of dancers. She watched them dance as though they were the only two people in the world, but she suddenly had a very strange feeling. It felt as though someone were watching her, and she quickly turned to see a man staring at her from the middle of the crowd. He was extremely handsome, almost painfully so, and Amu caught her breath for the second time that night. There was no way a man such as he could ever be looking at her. However, he suspicions were realized when he slowly began walking over to her.

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Ikuto hated dancing almost as much as he hated dancing, and the partner he had chosen was not making his night any easier. She was very clumsy and kept stepping on his feet, not to mention that she was constantly staring at him. It made him feel uncomfortable, so he kept his eyes looking above the crowd. He caught sight of his sister dancing with Kuukai near the edge of the crowd. He laughed to himself. Those two hated being in crowds almost as much as he did. Still, they seemed to be enjoying themselves, almost as if they were in their own world. Suddenly, they had bumped into a girl standing on the edge of the crowd. He sighed at the foolishness of his sister and was about to look elsewhere, when he caught sight of the girl. He felt his eyes go wide and his stomach did a back flip. Talking to his sister was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and he had seen many in his day. Her bright pink hair, golden eyes, and soft smile hypnotically drew him in, and he could not take his eyes off of her. Ikuto had never felt anything like this, but he knew that he had to go speak to this girl. Otherwise he would berate himself for the rest of his life for missing a once in a lifetime opportunity. He saw that she looked at him and quickly turned her eyes away, a small blush flushed upon her face. Ikuto was surprised, but he smirked knowing this was no ordinary girl. Ikuto failed to remember the girl he was dancing with and left her stranded in the middle of the floor.

"Pr-prince Ikuto!" she cried in desperation, but he paid her no attention. He was on a mission to speak to this girl, and the only thing standing in his way was a sea of dancing people. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the girl who had turned her back to him. He smiled and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing here all by yourself?" he asked her cunningly. Amu suddenly felt incredibly shy, and put on her trademark 'cool and spicy' personality.

"W-what does it matter to you?" she asked, looking away. She silently cursed in her mind for ruining her only moment with this guy. Ikuto just smirked. He knew immediately that this was no ordinary girl.

"Well, I find it rather odd that you would come to a ball and not even dance. Is that not frowned upon?" Ikuto cunningly asked her.

"Well maybe no one has asked me yet," Amu retorted.

"What? Such a beautiful young woman not being asked to dance? Now that I find shocking,"smoothly replied Ikuto. Amu felt her face grow a tad redder in shade and turned her head away.

"I do not see what the matter is. I am just here to enjoy myself and I do not find dancing all that enjoyable," said Amu. Ikuto smirk slowly turned into a smile. This girl was beyond perfect.

"Well, I despise dancing just as much as you do. Maybe we could hate dancing together?" he implied.

"Are you asking me dance?" Amu asked, slightly awestruck.

"If I said yes would you accept?" replied Ikuto.

"Fine, but I cannot promise I am any good," said Amu begrudgingly taking his hand. He laughed and slowly lead her out onto the floor. Amu could not believe any of this was real. She was at the ball dancing with what had to be the most handsome man in the kingdom. Ikuto was feeling the same way. He wondered why this woman had never entered his life before. Not only did she have beauty, she had a personality that he found enchanting and fun to toy with.

Ikuto slowly lead Amu in the waltz, and it immediately became clear to him that she had never danced before. He laughed silently and pulled her up onto his feet. She protested at first, but he assured her that it was better than floundering around and tripping people. Ikuto and Amu twirled around and around, leaving Amu feeling breathless and Ikuto in delight. Of course, they could feel everyone in the hall looking at each them, but they could not have cared less. It felt as though they were the only two people in the world, and nothing could ever stop them. Except, that is, for the end of the song. The orchestra hit their final note, and the couple bowed politely to each other.

"Thank you for the dance sir," Amu politely said "Now if you will pardon me..."

"Pardon you? I do not think so. I think you should come for a walk with me. The night is still young," he replied cutting her off. Amu was surprised at how forward her partner was, but she had every intention of spending the rest of the evening with him.

"I would love to," she replied with a smile, and the two left the dance hall and the large crowd of people behind. Unbeknownst to them, a certain blonde princess had been watching them the whole time.

"Well, looks like Ikuto had finally found a match," said Utau.

"It sure does," replied Kuukai, giving his fiancee a quick kiss on the cheek.

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It had been six hours, but to Ikuto and Amu it felt like a lifetime. The two had spent the rest of the evening outside in the garden, just talking. Amu quickly discovered that her suitor was quite perverted and cunning, and Ikuto realized that his beauty was fairly stubborn and strong-minded. Yet, it was these qualities that attracted them to each other even more. Amu was fully charmed by Ikuto, and she could have sworn that he had cast a spell on her. Ikuto felt exactly the same, and he could not believe the heavens had given him this angel.

After many hours of slight banter, failed dance lesson, stuttering, and blushes, they two sat beneath a large tree in the middle of the garden. They were just sitting in silence, but it was far from uncomfortable. Both felt completely at ease and never wanted the moment to end. However, Ikuto knew that he was needed inside, for he had to announce his bride by the end of night. He knew that the girl sitting next to him would someday be his wife, but he had to make sure she felt the same way.

"Well, I think we should be heading inside," said Ikuto, slightly crest fallen.

"Yes I agree," Amu said. She hated to leave the majesty of the garden, but she knew that others inside would be worried about them. Ikuto stood up and helped Amu up as well, but neither moved from where they were standing. They were facing each other, but Amu stared at the ground and Ikuto looked behind her at the tree. There was tension in the air and both could feel it. Ikuto looked down to see Amu's face slightly flushed, and he grinned. She looked absolutely gorgeous to him, and he could not help himself when he slowly reached for her chin and tilted her face upwards. She did not protest at his actions, and the two stared deeply into each other's eyes. Then, almost as if there was a magnetic force between them, they began to move closer, and closer still. Amu could feel his gentle breath tickle her face, and she felt herself take on a new shade of red. She closed her eyes, not wanting the moment to end, and Ikuto could only breathe to stop himself from collapsing. He was about to close the gap when-

_Dong, dong, dong, dong_

Amu's eyes shot open, and she moved away from Ikuto to look at the clock. Ikuto looked at her awestruck, and wondered what in the world could make her ruin such a moment. He saw the panic on her face, and felt as though something terrible were about to happen.

Amu had such a magical night that she completely neglected the time. It was now midnight, and she had less that 8 rings of the bell to escape the castle.

"I am extremely sorry sir but I must leave. Good-bye!" she said to her suitor, and she ran as quickly as she could away from the garden. It took Ikuto a second to register what was happening, but when he realized that the girl who took his breath away from running away from him, he took off in pursuit. Amu raced down the corridor and through the large doors leading outside. She was going to make it, and no one was going to stop her.

"Stop! Damn it would you stop!" she heard the man of her dreams shout. But she couldn't stop, and she forced her legs to carry her faster. She managed to make it to Ran, Miki, and Suu just as the clock hit the twelfth ring. She could feel her magical dress slowly disappear, and her friend slowly shrink back to their normal size. When they were back into mice, she scooped them up and jumped behind a bush out of sight.

"Amu-chan, what happened?" questioned Ran who was highly confused.

"Shhhhh," Amu whispered to her.

"Amu, why are you only wearing one shoe?" questioned Miki. Amu looked down to see that there was only one shoe on her foot, and that it had remained the golden slipper she wore underneath her dress. She slowly looked over the bush to see where its twin was, when she saw her man standing in front of the castle door, holding her shoe. He stared at it for what seemed like forever, then suddenly looked up and marched back inside the castle. Amu finally exhaled for what seemed like the first time all night. He did not know who she was, and she suddenly realized she had no idea who he was either. She spent the entire night with a man who had never told her his name.

'Oh well,' she thought.

"Amu-chan, how are we getting home desu?" suddenly asked Suu.

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Amu awoke the next morning with her head spinning. She almost did not remember what had happened the night before, but it all came back to her in a flood of memories that drowned her senses. She had managed to make it home before her family, but she had no time to complete her chores. When Saaya arrived home to find the furniture still dusty, she banished Amu to room where she would stay for two days time. Amu was rushed up to her room and her mother locked the door behind her, neglecting to see the golden slipper that was still on Amu's foot. Now, Amu awoke to a sunrise masked by the clouds that had arrived in the night. Amu's thoughts were disturbed when she felt Ran crawl onto her shoulder.

"Amu-chan! Good morning!" said Ran excitedly.

"Good mornig Ran," replied Amu somewhat groggily. She was in no mood to be cheerful, and felt that the clouds reflected her mood perfectly. Last night she had met the most perfect man, and had to ruin their chances together by running away from him. It took her all night to finally realize that what she had felt all night was love. She has fallen in love with a man she did not even know, and she found herself foolish for doing so. Now she was locked in her room while he was off probably romancing some other girl in town. She quickly changed her thoughts before she became too depressed, and suddenly realized that Miki and Suu were not with Ran.

"Ran, where are Miki and Suu?" asked Amu.

"Oh! They went downstairs to hear the early morning gossip. They felt bad that you could not hear it, so they decided to heat it for you!" Ran responded. Amu felt herself smile softly. She was glad to have such good friends, and knew that they could help her during these next two days.

"Amu!" she heard Miki yell.

"Amu-chan desu!" yelled Suu right behind her. The two mice scurried into the bed room .

"There you two are, I was worried," said Amu, relieved to see that her friends had not been caught by her family.

"Amu! Big news!" said Miki excitedly "the prince is coming to our house today!"

"What? Why?" asked Amu in disbelief.

"There is a proclamation across the land that Prince Ikuto is looking for a woman he met at the ball last night desu" said Suu "and he is coming to every house in search of her. Amu smiled and laughed a bit to herself. It seemed as though the prince lost a woman last night as well, just like her lost love.

"Well, it is too bad I won't be able to greet him," Amu said with a small smile "but I am sure we will be able to meet someday."

"Thats the spirit Amu-chan!" yelled Ran. Amu looked shyly over to the golden slipper now sitting on her bed stand.

'I wonder what he is doing right now' she wondered.

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It had been raining all day and the prince still had not come to the manner of Saaya and her daughters. Amu had spent the day with Ran, Miki, and Suu drawing pictures and telling stories to each other. Amu was glad to have the company, but she still kept an ear out for a carriage that was due at their home.

"Gee, I wonder where the prince is," questioned Miki while drawing a flower.

"Who knows," said Amu "but when he gets here I'm sure we will hear the commotion downstairs." Almost as soon as she had spoke, Amu heard the faint gallop of the horse just outside her window. Loud footsteps were heard downstairs, and Amu could hear Saaya yelling at Rima and Yaya to get ready.

"The prince must be here desu!" exclaimed Suu, and the four of them rushed over to the window. Amu sat on the sill watching the carriage pull up, while Ran Miki, and Suu watched next to her. The rain was beating down on her face, but Amu felt it was worth it just to catch a glimpse of the prince. She saw her mother step outside to greet the party stepping out of the carriage. The first person out was a man who revealed himself to have orange hair that went everywhere and the build of an athlete.

'Thats strange,' though Amu 'he looks like the man from that couple I bumped into last night'. Following right behind him was a girl in an ornate outfit with long blonde hair and sparkling purple eyes.

'Its that girl! She must be the princess. Oh how embarrassing of me to bump into the princess and her fiancee' Amu thought with a small blush. At least she knew what the princess looked like now. Amu's anticipation grew as the final person stepped out of the carriage. He had midnight blue hair that framed his face and a tall muscular build that was still quite lean. He had deep blue eyes that could pierce into your soul. In his hand was a golden slipper than shone despite the lack of sun. Amu felt her eyes grow wide and her face deepen in color.

'Its him!' she thought 'it really is him! I can't believe it! But, no it couldn't be the prince' Amu thought, thinking that he could possibly be just a friend of the prince's.

"Prince Ikuto! How nice it is of you to grace our house with your presence," exclaimed Saaya. Amu felt her heart skip a beat and quicken in pace as her thoughts were proved true. The man she had spent a wonderful night with and had fallen in love with was none other than prince Ikuto himself. She could not breathe, she could not move, all she could do was stare down at his handsome figure as he greeted her mother. Suddenly, he looked up and stared directly at her. Amu shrieked and leapt from the windowsill and leaned against the wall. He had seen her! Amu put her hand against her chest and felt her heart beat faster than it had ever had. She felt as though her chest was going to burst, and her face was going to melt from the heat.

"Amu-chan? Whats wrong?" asked Ran, but Amu ignored her. She glanced out the window again to see Ikuto still looking up at it. He was not listening to Saaya's conversation, but was soon ushered inside along with is sister, forcing him to take his eyes off of the window. Amu could not believe it, not only was the love of her life the prince of Seiyo, but he was also inside her house. There was no questioning it, Amu had to go downstairs and see him. She had to claim him as her own, and she would not let anything stand in her. She ran over to the door and threw it open. Or she would have had the door not been locked. Amu just stood there realizing that there was one way out, and it was locked from the outside. The idea seemed to punch her in the stomach, and all of her excitement left her body almost as quickly as it came. She fell to the floor once again.

"Amu-chan? Are you alright desu?" questioned Suu. When no response came, the three mice ran over to Amu. They saw that she was staring at the floor, her face in utter anguish, and her eyes bursting with tears. Amu could not believe herself. For the second time in 24 hours she was crying, and this time over a guy no less. She should be stronger than this. But who was she kidding, she desired Ikuto, she wanted Ikuto, she needed Ikuto, but there was nothing she could do. Once again, Amu collapsed into a tearful mess onto the floor, and her friends watched as they saw her fall apart.

"Amu-chan," said a gentle voice. Amu immediately looked up and saw Dia standing there in front of her.

"Amu-chan, you do not need to cry. Love can always find a way. I can feel that your heart aches deeply for the prince, and his aches deeper than yours. You shine your brightest when you think of him, and there is no reason for you not to be together," said Dia. Amu looked up at her with disbelieving eyes. Dia once again pulled her wand out of thin air and pointed it at the lock on the door. A bright light shone through the hole and then disappeared quickly.

"Now you must hurry Amu, they are about to leave," said Dia hurrying Amu forward. Amu nearly burst through the door, but turned back and gave Dia a giant hug.

"Thank you Dia," Amu said gratefully through her remaining tears. Dia smiled.

"Of course dear, now go, go!" she said. Amu ran out the door and down the stairs as fast as her legs could take her. She made it down into the entrance hall just to see her sister Yaya try on the golden slipper.

"See....it.....fits...." said Yaya though bared teeth, but Ikuto was not fooled. He had seen enough of these girls today try to fit into the shoe, and none of them had succeeded. This was the last house in the kingdom he had not checked, and the girl he had met was not in any of them. He too had realized he had fallen in love, and was desperate to find the love of his life. But it seemed as though his efforts had fallen short, and Ikuto was pained in his heart.

"No, I see that it does not fit. Well I guess that will be all for today. Thank you for your time," he quickly said. He gave a look to his sister who frowned and slowly walked towards the door. Saaya was about to protest when Amu finally found her voice.

"Wait you highness!" she cried. Ikuto's heart skipped a beat when he heard that voice. It was her, it was her voice. Her turned around with more enthusiasm than he intended and he lost his breath. Before him stood a girl with bright pink hair and shinning golden eyes. The only difference between her and the girl from the ball was that she was dressed in rags, while the girl was dressed in a beautiful gown. Despite this, Ikuto could tell it was the same woman.

"I apologize for interrupting, but I believe you have yet to try my foot," said Amu with as much courage as she could muster.

"Now wait just a second your highness. Amu is simply our maid and she spent the night at home, there is no way she could have been at the ball," Saaya demanded in protest, but Ikuto did not listen. He walked slowly to Amu entranced, and slowly knelt down to put the shoe on her foot.

"Do you mind," he asked, remembering that he had to act like a gentleman.

"Not at all," she giggled quietly. Ikuto picked up her and slowly slid it into the show. It was a perfect fit. He swore his heart failed him, and he looked up at Amu to see a wide smile spread across her face.

Behind them, Saaya fainted and Yaya caught her. Rima gave a soft smile and Utau beamed in joy for her brother. Amu could not believe what was happening as Ikuto stood up to meet her gaze. Her wildest day dream was coming true, and her fondest wish was being granted. Ikuto looked just as handsome as he did the night before, and Amu could have died happy right at that moment.

"Your name was Amu, was it not?" he asked with a smirk after hearing Saaya call her such. Amu loved the way he said her name and knew she could listen to him say it all that.

"That is right, Prince Ikuto," she responded, delighted to call him such. It felt right to him by his name, and not just 'sir'.

"Well then, _Amu_, I believe we have some unfinished business to attended to," he said looking straight into her eyes. It was almost as if they had never left each other last night. Ikuto slowly closed the gap between them once more, and Amu knew there was nothing stopping them this time.

"Yes, I believe we do," she whispered, and she smiled as the gap was finally closed and their lips met. It was perfect. The kiss was far better than either could have ever imagined. They knew that nothing could ever stop them now, and they were finally united together. They had their entire lives a head of them, and as their lips moved together, they knew it was going to be a wonderful life.

And they lived happily ever aft-

"AMU-CHAN!"

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Amu awoke with a start. She looked up to see Ran dancing above her blowing her whistle as loud as she could.

"WAKE UP AMU-CHAN! WAKE UP AMU-CHAN!" she yelled. Amu groaned and flipped over in her bed. The bright morning sun was lighting her room in a golden hue, and it seemed to be another perfect day in the town of Seiyo.

"Good morning Amu!" said her second chara Miki.

"Good morning Amu-chan desu!" said her third chara Suu. Amu paid no attention to them as she stared at the wall in front of her. Was it all a dream? Was the kiss that she and Ikuto shared only a dream? Furthermore, was she just cinderella? She decided never to stay up late watching old Disney movies ever again. A small blush graced her face as she thought about the ball, the tower, and more importantly Ikuto. Gosh, she missed him more than she thought. Maybe he was winning that bet he made with her, but Amu did not want to think about that. Right now, she had three very annoying charas trying to wake her up from the best dream she had in months.

"Good morning," she sighed, and her three charas began to tell her about their plans and desires for the day. However, they were rudely interrupted when a large buzz came from Amu's bed stand. The four jumped and looked over to see that Amu had a new text message. Amu reached over and flipped open the phone, and then turned a deep shade of red.

"Who was it Amu-chan?!" asked Ran.

"Was it Mr. Doggy desu?" questioned Suu rather idiotically.

"No idiot, I bet it was Ikuto! He has not stopped texting Amu since he left!" deduced Miki.

"Will you three calm down and help me get dressed," Amu demanded of her charas, changing the subject. Their minds were easily distracted and they flew over to her closet to help her pick out a dress. Amu's phone was left open on her bed, with the text message in plain sight.

_Message from: ___

_Mornin' Princess._

_(A/N)_ The End! I hopped you enjoyed my story! I know it was really long but I really enjoyed writing it. Thank you!


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